A Memory of Light - Chapters 17-20

In this section, events are more dire than ever!

Rand comes to see Tuon, more humble than last time they met. Mat establishes that his allegiance is with the Seanchan. Mat is the only character who could have made the linkage with this alien culture, as he is perpetually the outsider. Now he will truly be a man with a foot in each world, belonging fully to neither.

Rand must concede the lives of many channelers to procure an alliance. Many times throughout the story, characters have had to act contrary to one ideal in order to achieve a greater goal. Those who could not or would not concede became a different sort of evil, such as Aridhol’s, or the Whitecloaks. Rand has come to realize that he can’t take responsibility for every problem men face; people will have to figure those problems out after he faces the Dark One. Cadsuane reminds him of this again when she reveals the men of the Black Tower freed themselves without his help.

Rand’s burden has him reflecting on many philosophical matters, such as whether Trollocs have souls, yet another way to ponder how his actions affect the world, another matter he must set aside in order to focus on his current goal of the Last Battle.

Rand knows Alivia must help him die, so he entrusts her care to Cadsuane, who in turn is placed near Aviendha, whom he trusts. Cadsuane confirms Rand is ready, and insists he maintain hope for life, even if the odds seem insurmountable. Note Cadsuane’s continued role as a stand-in for the Light itself in this interaction with Rand:

“Our interactions have not always been smooth, Rand al’Thor.”

“That would be one way to say it”

“However,” she continued, eyeing him, “I will have you know that I am pleased. You have turned out well.”

Elsewhere, Gawyn has much talent which isn’t being used well. Egwene keeps him in line for now, but he is eager to do something of value. Gawyn also learns more about the Bloodknife rings, and the danger they carry. A false expectation is laid, with the Aes Sedai wondering when Taim will bring his Dreadlords to confront them on the most important battlefield.

Lan speaks to Mandarb, his faithful war horse, about his dream of making a new home for them and Malkier. His love for Nynaeve has truly changed his view of the world. Lan confronts Agelmar about suspected mistakes he has made and receives a very good explanation that is a catch-all for any author’s errors in strategy: “I am not without flaw, Dai Shan. This will not be my only error. I will see them, as I saw this one, and learn from them.” Bashere also makes a mistake, giving a second clue about the generals’ behaviour, but his explanation is also reasonable.

Egwene visits Tel’aran’rhiod for the last time. The World of Dreams is disintegrating, an unexpected complication. Aiel Wise Ones want Rand to move more quickly, yet he has already received advice from Moiraine, and Cadsuane, on that point. Egwene explains the new hazards of balefire, reminding herself that it is only another weave, despite the strong importance place don its unique nature. It is an unimportant observation now, and will still seem unimportant when she refers back to it later at a crucial moment. She bids the Wise Ones a fond farewell, an opportunity for closure that few other characters will have had, and then she gets another with Rand.

When Rand visits Egwene, he realizes the seals he gave her are fakes. This is shocking and risks upsetting all his plans! However dire things felt before, this is much worse!

Gawyn learns how Galad and Rand are related in an awkward conversation. This detail didn’t have to come from Rand’s mouth, did it? We’ll see how important this detail is in a later chapter.

Mat gets a new outfit for the Last Battle. And I had predicted it would be one of the girls who got a new dress. Rats. Mat realizes he has achieved everything in life he set out to do. What now? Nothing is working out as he expected, which is fitting since he never does what is expected. Reminding readers how different the Seanchan are even in terms of dress adds to the sense of mistrust felt as the reader wonders whether Rand’s treaty with them will hold.

At last, the chapter titled Into Thakan’dar tells readers that the really serious stuff is about to begin. It begins with a clunky piece of exposition, which is effective at quickly placing it in time for the reader’s comprehension, but is a violent way to introduce the situation: “Later in the day after her meeting with Rand, Egwene thrust Vora’s sa’angreal out in front of her and wove Fire.”

When Gawyn deciphers the Myrddraal’s tactics, and an immense Gateway opens revealing a surprise army, there is not even a moment’s consideration that this might be Taim or another Forsaken. Demandred has finally made his grand entrance, with as much impact as readers could hope for. Quickly and brutally, his Sharans devastate the Aes Sedai’s army and ranks of channelers.

Despite Aviendha’s belief that one could not describe Thakan’dar, but had to experience it, the author does a masterful job of revealing the utter despair of the place. Another unexpected twist about time is foreshadowed in the planning:

“Let us assume,” Ituralde said with a smile, “that there is going to be more to it than a duel.”

“I am not a fool, Rodel Ituralde,” Amys said coolly. “I doubt that the Car’a’carn’s fight will be one of spears and shields. However, when he cleansed the Source, did that not happen in the space of a single day? Perhaps this will be similar.”

“Perhaps,” Ituralde said. “Perhaps not.” He lowered the glass and looked to the Aiel. “Which possibility would you rather plan for?”

“The worst one,” Aviendha said.

“So we plan to hold out as long as the Dragon needs,” Ituralde said. “Days, weeks, months… years? As long as it takes.”

Years? Aaaaa!

Aviendha also reminds Rand that the greatest victory would be taking the Dark One gai’shain. It seems even crazier than killing him, but if he can’t be killed, it seems like the next best thing.

Nynaeve confirms that Callandor is a trap, allowing anyone to seize control of him. His allies ambushed, the seals stolen, carrying a tool that can turn against him, facing a dark deity, in a battle that could last years, how much worse can things get? I am so excited!

Writing Lessons: Foreshadowing works better with a strong explanation for the crucial detail you are placing in the text, instead of a weak or random observation.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 46-50 and Epilogue

In this section, Rand has his lowest moment

Egwene completes her reunification of the White Tower by choosing a Keeper of the Chronicles from the opposing faction. She is setting an example for others to follow by reaching out to a woman who is well known to have been one of her adversaries, and if the others do follow her example, then the Tower should recover nicely. It is fortunate for everyone that Elaida was no longer there, because Egwene might have had less interest in reaching out to her, and she may not have reciprocated as nicely as Silviana did.

This mending of the rift between opposing forces and reaching out to the opponent mirrors situations with the Seanchan, as well as Rand’s internal strife against himself. The greater foe cannot be defeated unless the lesser foes put their differences behind them. Egwene’s situation demonstrates how difficult that may be, requiring her to berate those who first raised her and supported her over the last few months.

Rand and Min separately ponder Callandor’s role in the Last Battle. If its function isn’t for the amount of the One Power it allows to be used, then it must reside with its purported flaw, the fact that women must control the circle to prevent wild fluctuations. It would be irregular for a new property of Callandor to be revealed at the last moment, so I maintain that it is the circle itself that is the reason that Callandor is named in the prophecies. It forces Rand to act in harmony with two women, instead of lashing out on his own as Lews Therin did.

As though to demonstrate that point, Rand has begun obsessing over the Choedan Kal, as though more power is the solution to all of his problems, even as Lews Therin recalls that brute force cannot contain the Dark One. Rand is trying his utmost to fulfill his destiny alone, never considering or allowing that others want to help him fulfill it.

Tam, Rand’s father, attempts to intervene at Cadsuane’s behest. Rand’s responses to his father are mechanical and emotionless. Until Tam reveals he has been in contact with Cadsuane, which drives Rand into a rage. Tam is the oldest relationship Rand has, and by rejecting him Rand is cutting the final tie to his humanity. He is now ready to commit genocide. Lews Therin provides the final link to Rand’s failure when Rand asks himself what he is doing, spinning balefire for his father. No more than I’ve done before, Lews Therin whispers.

Tam argues with Cadsuane, and if she still represents the Light, Tam’s argument is that not even the Light can dictate how a man interacts with his son. The Light may provide guidance and goals, but a parent’s bond with their child is even more sacred than that.

In Ebou Dar, Rand takes note of the Tinkers and the fact they have finally found a place of safety. He is able to see the Seanchan in a different light. While they may treat channelers as animals, the Seanchan treat the peaceful Traveling people with acceptance, something no nation under Rand has ever done. They are different, but they do care about people, even about Rand himself as he stumbles with nausea before he can devastate the city of Ebou Dar.

Rand and Lews Therin merge as represented through three sentences spread across three pages:

The madman didn’t sound as crazy as he once had. In fact, his voice had started to sound an awful lot like Rand’s own voice.

He didn’t know if the thought was his or if it was Lews Therin’s. The two were the same.

Why have we come here? Rand thought. Because, Rand replied. Because we made this. This is where we died.

Atop Dragonmount, Rand contemplates letting the Pattern end. Allowing himself to feel when so much was demanded of him threatened to destroy him, so he tried not to feel anything. Now that he has reconnected with his emotions, he is frustrated that even if he defeats the Dark One, men will keep acting stupidly and selfishly. He doesn’t think his destiny is simply to stop the Dark One, but also to save men from themselves, and their poor decisions. If Rand feels anything, it is futility.

The last peep of Rand’s conscience went silent after he assaulted Tam. Lews Therin’s voice makes one final appearance, saying that a second chance is always worth having. Remembering Tam’s advice, Rand wonders why he would want a second chance, and realizes he will not be satisfied unless he gets it right. He wants to make up for his mistakes, to take responsibility for what was done wrong. This core of stubbornness and determination drives most of the heroic characters. They want to do what they feel is right, not because they have to, but because they need to in order to be true to themselves.

Writing epiphanies is tricky, because there is always the chance that the author can’t convey the grandeur of the realization and its profound impact on the character. In this case the words establish the sense of wonder well, but some part of the epiphany is lost because readers have known for a while that Rand must learn to feel again. This foreseeable outcome is camouflaged nicely by the depths of Rand’s dark mood which, until just one page before the conclusion, seems destined to overturn all of the Viewings and Prophecies. Stretching out the bleakness and condensing the epiphany at the very end augments the reader’s chances of believing that Rand has doomed himself.

The epilogue unexpectedly provides an opportunity to comment on Rand’s sudden reversal of mood. The gloomy weather could have been a result of Rand’s mood instead of the Dark One’s touch. It’s difficult to separate metaphor from true causes when they parallel each other so consistently.

Writing Lessons:

To make events feel logical as they unfold, split them into progressive steps, spending more text on the things you want readers to pay attention to.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 37-39

In this section, Rand mercilessly destroys his enemies and Egwene gets some help.

Without a shred of regret or doubt, Rand sacrifices a Domani nobleman to test whether Graendal is really hiding in a fortress called Natrin’s Barrow. His plan to kill Graendal amounts to fooling her into thinking she is sitting down to play a game with him, then to kill her before she realizes there is no game.

Callandor failed Rand before, but we get a glimpse of why Callandor is the object called out in the Prophecies, not the Choedan Kal. Rand calls Callandor a box, designed to trap him, but readers retain the intuition that a circle of two women and one man using Callandor can overcome its flaws. Callandor forces men and women to work together, to be in a circle where they can share sensations, and feed off each other’s will. The Warder bond sometimes causes a feedback loop where Aes Sedai and Warder’s emotions feed off each other. The a’dam allows sensation of the damane’s physical feelings. Rand’s bond with Elayne caused uncomfortable feedback and amplification of sensations. In a circle, using Callandor, it seems plausible that a feedback loop can be created that magnifies willpower, allowing Rand to feed off of the combined resistance of the women linked with him. Given the possible weakness in the True Power exposed in the previous chapters, the ability to use collaborative willpower would be of great value in the Last Battle.  

Balefire’s unique properties are once again showcased in a clever and callous strategy to verify whether Graendal is dead. Of course, dedicated balefire enthusiasts such as myself found several ways in which Graendal could have survived the blast. Min contrasts the results of the faded Compulsion with the bruises on her own neck which have not faded yet. The difference is that Rand acted as an intermediary, so his actions were not undone by balefiring Semirhage, he still believed he had a collar around his neck and was being forced to strangle Min. Given Demandred’s meeting with the Dark One and the repeated use of balefire, it is inevitable that balefire will play an important role in A Memory of Light. I expect Demandred’s forces to channel it almost exclusively in an attempt to unmake the world itself, an attack which would require the True Power, or the properties of Tel’aran’rhiod to repair.

Nynaeve is despondent over her inability to sway Rand by even a hair, so she reluctantly turns to Cadsuane, who tests her, questioning her ability to obey. Nynaeve resists, as she always does, not unlike Rand himself, while Min assigns herself the duty of keeping Rand alive and sane, with his soul in one piece.

Egwene uses need in Tel’aran’rhiod and comes across Tinker wagons. Mat once discovered Tinker Wagons burned with the message ‘tell the Dragon Reborn’ scratched with one man’s dying efforts. What do they mean together? The most common answer relates to their lost song, but given Rand’s recent moods, what he needs to be told is to adopt the Way of the Leaf. Acceptance of events and refusal to use force are two elements of this philosophy that are used frequently in other places in the story. If Rand’s soul is to be salvaged, the Way of the Leaf may offer a means to do it.

Stepping out of Tel’aran’rhiod, the transition from healthy Egwene to injured Egwene drives home the treatment she casually described to Siuan, hoping not to alarm her to the point where she would ignore Egwene’s order to pursue no rescue. With Siuan she uses words like ‘solitude, beating, spice, survive, narrow, touch, can’t stand, bend, stoop, pain, beatings, old, itches, cracks.’ Upon awakening, the author uses stronger words such as ‘blackness, exploded, pain, pounded raw, strap, cramped, forced, curled, small, smelled, unwashed, stench, groan, shield, stiff, cracked, scraping, parched, never, stooped’.

Dramatic events surrounding Elaida’s potential downfall and Silviana’s potential execution allow Egwene a few moments alone back in her cell, just in time for a visit from Verin.

Verin’s affiliation with the Black Ajah was a much bigger secret than Sheriam’s because she helped the heroes so overtly, but of course there were still those who latched on to the idea that she was Black Ajah early. Verin’s appearance brings an avalanche of revelations. Fortunately she doesn’t just walk in and hand her secrets to Egwene. There is a cost, which is her life. Self-sacrifice isn’t something the Dark One seems able to conceive of or worry about, so Verin’s self-sacrifice is a clue to the Dark One’s blind spot, one which Rand should easily take advantage of as he embodies the role of saviour.

As the series nears its end, it’s foreseeable that readers get reminders of all the major plot elements which will explain the later victory, so these tidbits about the Dark One, balefire, Callandor, the True Power and Tel’aran’rhiod are significant. In almost every case, those tidbits have been placed in gripping scenes so that readers absorb them, but don’t dwell on them, allowing a more powerful revelation later.

With most of the Black Ajah plots already foiled, it is timely to reveal their identities now. No longer are readers filled with paranoia about who may be on their side, from now on they will know exactly who is a villain and who is not. A new tension arises from Egwene’s need to keep this secret until she can make the most use of it, even when it will mean interacting with Black Ajah.  She gives orders to take Alviarin immediately if at all possible.

The book has been picking up its pace for a while now, overcoming most concerns or interest in the difference between Jordan and Sanderson. The reason is that events in each locale are directly affecting each other, creating a storyline that links the parts into a whole which the reader has interest in following. Mat’s agreement with Verin led to her arrival in the Tower. Rand’s failure with the Seanchan leads to Tuon launching a raid on Tar Valon. Tuon’s raid prevents Egwene from acting on Verin’s information immediately. Disparate storylines are being interwoven with cause and effect rather than simply thematic links.

Writing Lessons:

Readers feel story progression when the solution to one problem creates a new problem.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 28-30

In this section, the Heroes get a taste of the wrong choice.

Mat is in Hinderstap when the sun goes down, and the villagers turn insane as soon as the last of the light slips behind the mountains. This is yet another of the series’ metaphors that cut across the various storylines, as Mat experiences a village outside the Light, representative of Rand’s moral trajectory. With no guiding set of morals, the inhabitants turn on one another quickly and savagely. There are a few subtle, and a few direct hints of this in the text: The village was dark. Not a light burned, or there didn’t seem to be an ounce of humanity left in them, or Thom’s analysis:  It’s as if the darkness itself intoxicates them, as if the Light itself has forsaken them, leaving then only to the Shadow. Even Mat and his followers are dragged down to that level because the danger and the darkness limit their ability to act as morally as they should with unarmed villagers.

This bubble of evil, like several others before, not only do nasty impossible things but also symbolize current events on the book, particularly with respect to Rand’s character. Were all the bubbles of evil veiled symbols of Rand’s mood? If so, the author managed to hide the fact well with subtlety. Recent bubbles of evil are easier to match to Rand’s mood. The bubbles of evil also began only after Rand took Callandor. Is holding Callandor what makes the Dragon one with the land? Did the bubbles of evil start off somewhat gentle and get nastier as Rand’s mood got darker and darker?  If these are attuned to Rand, and not the Dark One, what does that mean? I’m leaning towards an eventual revelation that the Dark One can’t simply be killed or sealed away, he is now part of Rand, or always was metaphorically.

Continuing the metaphor of the Light-forsaken, Arad Doman‘s capital city is as hopeless a place as has been shown. No food, no medicine, no order, no hope. It is a second, larger example of a city outside the Light, once again representing Rand’s mental state. Rand sees no one who stands out amongst a people noted for standing out. No one is special. Two balconies collapse at the same time, a ta’veren twist or a bubble of evil, or a result of using the Dark One’s own power? Rand ponders this without offering succour to the wounded. Every person near Rand is suspicious. Merise must be plotting with Cadsuane, Dobraine is Cairhienin, Min must be remembering what he did to her. No one is special enough to elicit emotion from the Dragon Reborn.

Rand recognizes Lanfear may yet live. He resolves to use balefire on her, Graendal, or any Forsaken, still unknowing that the Dark One benefits each time he uses it.

Gawyn can’t get help from the Aes Sedai to rescue Egwene, but is still desperate to do so. Gareth Bryne questions him closely, and the questions are the same ones Rand should be asking himself. The author often shows older mentor characters as already having all the right answers and trying to guide the younger heroes along the right path. What if Egwene doesn’t want help? Will he force her to go? Will he become a bully and a footpad, remarkable only because of his ability to kill or punish those who disagree with him? Gawyn’s journey lags Rand’s, for Gawyn has yet to commit to a path while Rand strides headstrong down the path he has chosen, the path everyone tells him is the wrong one.

Let’s see how a description of Mat’s battle differs from Gawyn’s in the last section:

Chapter 28, Night in Hinderstap begins with the battle already underway, even though the previous chapter was from Mat’s perspective as well. This helps sell the idea that everything changed as though with the flip of a switch. Three attackers are quickly dispatched, then the mood is set with several paragraphs describing screams and yells, primal tactics, and manic violence. Wounded men in the street are finished off by more roving maniacal villagers. The reader now understands the context, and had to do so in the same way Mat did, hurriedly and only after dealing with the immediate problem.  

They see Mat. Mat curses and orders them to mount. There is a loss of control as Mat cannot keep from killing despite his best efforts. The danger and the darkness make it inevitable.

A brief respite as the remaining groups turn on each other. The mayor sees Mat but attacks two other men from behind instead. Mat orders a retreat. The villagers pursue on all fours, like animals.

The difficult battle conditions are described yet again, but no strategy is announced. The effect is one of concern. Mat hasn’t the abilities, the men, the power or the strategy to get out of this situation. Even his eventual decision is instinctive: find Thom and the women, protect them.

On the main street, conditions are worse. Mat charges in headlong. One of his men falls, and Mat goes back for him despite Talmanes’ protests. The strategy is one of necessity, other strategies he could have used such as trampling the attackers are unusable in the darkness. This once more adds to the feeling of loss of control. Traditional tactics are useless since he cannot anticipate the blind stupidity of his attackers. There are no sword-forms, no depictions of graceful mastery, it is all simple, instinctual, desperate moves.

Delarn acts as a man should, distinguishing himself from the mass of shadows, allowing Mat to fight to reach his side. Mat gets Delarn onto his horse, but remains under continual attack. Highlighting the desperation, the sentences become quick and clipped: They just kept coming! Surrounding him! Coming at him from every side. Bloody Ashes!

Thom rides in to save Mat, and Talmanes comes as well, and they all ride towards the Aes Sedai.

The language throughout the battle is heavy on audible sounds instead of sights, treats the foes as indistinguishable and interchangeable creatures, and never gives Mat a chance to think or plan. As a result, it is quite different from any other battle in the series.

 Writing Lessons:

Make scenes original instead of generic by highlighting a few aspects of them differently than expected.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 53-56

In this section, the Heroes overcome the forces arrayed against them, and Rand confirms he is the Dragon Reborn.

Faile falls into a trap, and since Moiraine assigned responsibility for her to Perrin, he makes use of the ability to enter the Wolf Dream to save her. Compared with Perrin’s careful smithing, his behavior here is frantic, leaping before he looks, urging Hopper to stop explaining and get on with leading him to Faile. These are the impetuous actions of man thinking with his heart, not his head.

Egwene takes control of her captivity, also using her access to the World of Dreams to save herself and her friends. Like Perrin, she is ignorant of the rules governing the World of Dreams, but fortunately her opponents are even less knowledgeable. Egwene is able to channel in tel’aran’rhiod despite being shielded in the waking world. The True Source can be touched anywhere but a stedding. Some part of her, maybe the most important part of her, is free of the confines of a physical body, and in the World of Dreams exists as a conceptualization of herself. The shield is around her body, and is not replicated in tel’aran’rhiod. Is the same true of all weaves? Does it matter whether they are tied off weaves or being held by someone? Later we’ll see how warded boxes are no protection in tel’aran’rhiod, so the answer must be that no weaves in the waking world are replicated in the World of Dreams. That also explains how Be’lal and Rand can wield Callandor in dreams.

Egwene finds Joiya first, and shields her. She scares Joiya by inferring that the shield may extend to her waking body. What affects you in tel’aran’rhiod affects your body in the waking world too, though to a lesser degree. Rand and Perrin’s wounds upon waking have often been less than what they appeared to have been subjected to in their dreams. Readers are finally getting the long awaited explanation of the World of Dreams. There is no better way to explain than by showing examples of the rules in action.

Egwene finds Amico next, who is drifting in and out of sleep as she toys with her dream ter’angreal. Egwene shields her also, but when she finds resistance, she sharpens her weave and rams it in place, stilling Amico. What affects you in tel’aran’rhiod affects you in the waking world, yet somehow Amico’s weaves hold even as she is stilled. Since Amico was not yet fully in tel’aran’rhiod, she can’t access it any further with the True Source cut off, but also can’t have the stilling take effect until she wakes. The ter’angreal has effectively trapped her between worlds. Nynaeve’s punch ends both the channeling and the dream. The ability to still someone instead of shield them may never been a real possibility in battle given how closely matched most Aes Sedai are in the One Power. The only example shown was years earlier when Moiraine battled Merean in New Spring. In tel’aran’rhiod, the willpower making the action is more important than the strength in the One Power, and Egwene forced the shield in place with all her might.

Mat manages to make friends on the rooftops and battle his way through the stone, taking out the High Lord Darlin with battle skill, not luck. He finds and frees the young women, gets insulted for his trouble, but may have saved them from any retribution by the remaining eleven Black Ajah before they fled the Stone.

Rand finally makes his appearance. Despite being absent most of the book, his short talk with Perrin, the updates through the dreams, and what is learned about the prophecy surrounding Callandor and the Stone of Tear all serve to make the stakes important to the reader. In a sentence or two, Rand’s conflict is made clear; his reluctance to learn the truth opposes his need to get Callandor before someone else does. Moiraine balefires Be’lal out of existence, and is herself knocked out by Ba’alzamon, who has decided to kill Rand after all. The only way to survive is to take Callandor.

Like both Perrin and Egwene, Rand must enter the World of Dreams. Ba’alzamon uses tel’aran’rhiod against Rand in a dozen ways. It is unlikely that Rand instinctively knows which weaves to use to survive each trap, or to split Ba’alzamon’s stream of balefire. He just uses Callandor to hold more of the One Power, and in doing so is filled with confidence, which lends him the power to manipulate tel’aran’rhiod. Each of Rand’s feats is more plausible as a consequence of him exerting his will over his surroundings, outmatching Ba’alzamon’s will, undoing what traps his opponent has set. Rand should have had less success using the One Power in this manner in the waking world. But, there is the precedent of his intuitive use of weaves when he used the Eye of the World.

The book’s ending would be difficult for Rand to carry alone. The other character’s plotlines all conclude with some satisfactory action, but it is not clear whether they have overcome their internal difficulties. Is Egwene burying the hatchet with Nynaeve when she asks her to sing to her as she did when she was a child? Perrin set out to find Rand, but dropped that quest in favour of his falcon and the Wolf Dream. Mat just wanted to get away from it all, and wound up defeating some minor villains, but resolved little else. The haphazard way in which each of their plotlines ends leaves the way wide open for Rand to provide the conclusive victory. Be’lal and the Forsaken were late arrivals on the scene in this book, but understanding the scope of their power made Be’lal’s confrontation with Rand a worthy challenge. Ba’alzamon danced around the edges throughout the book, but was never clearly made the main villain, given that neither Egwene nor Perrin had much to do with him. Only the carryover from the other books made it work well.

Another element that worked well was the continually shorter duration of each character’s point of view throughout the novel, culminating in rapid jumps from character to character within single chapters. The same quick switching was in the Great Hunt, but was mostly present because the other points of view were required to understand the events unfolding.  

Writing Lessons:

Give your characters satisfactory resolutions to their story arcs or risk the wrath of the reader.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 49-52

In this section, the Black Ajah finds Egwene and her friends, Perrin crafts a hammer, and Mat arrives too late.

In the World of Dreams, Egwene comes upon the Black Ajah, who appear only faintly while using their own dream ter’angreal. The element of surprise is lost, if they ever had it, since the Black Ajah’s intent was to lure them to Tear, for use in some Forsaken plot. The best thief taker in Tear, Juilin Sandar, isn’t good enough, and he is caught and turned by Liandrin’s thin form of Compulsion. This is the second time Compulsion has been shown, the first was Morgase made docile under Gaebril’s thumb. It is not quite the same as being collared as damane, but the loss of self determination and free will is similar. With Compulsion, the victim can be made to forget what has taken place, with the a’dam, the damane knows but is made to believe they are in their proper place. Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne are in for a worse fate, since Be’lal is bringing thirteen Myrddraal to Tear to turn them to the Dark One. If the Black Ajah left the White Tower at the behest of Ba’alzamon or Lanfear, they belong to Be’lal now.

Once again, the young women are being used to bait Rand. If it weren’t for the Forsaken being so intent on such a convoluted ploy, leading Rand to Tear to save his childhood sweetheart, they should have been eliminated more directly. They don’t know that Rand is walking the streets of Tear even now, and the ploy to draw him in was unnecessary. They also don’t know that they have unintentionally drawn the other two ta’veren to the city as well.

Liandrin so loves breaking Ailhuin’s spirit, she convinces Rianna to spare her life. She is thus able to tell Mat what he needs to know. When Mat first ignored the signs that would have drawn him to Ailhuin’s home, the Pattern compensates by giving Thom a cold. In search of a remedy, they find Ailhuin. The Pattern works subtly.

When Mat leaves Ailhuin’s home, he feels the dice tumbling in his head, for the first that it is called as such. He has felt the room lurching, felt dizzy, felt feverish, but never before the dice tumbling in his head, as he does when he decides to break into the Stone.

Moiraine and Lan also set off for the Stone of Tear. Perrin is left behind to consider his new hammer. Earlier in chapter 4 of this book, Ba’alzamon tries to convince Perrin to take up his hammer and put aside his axe. In the Great Hunt, Perrin is already thinking about how his hands are made for swinging a hammer, not an axe for killing. In the Eye of the World, Elyas told Perrin to set aside the axe the day he stops hating to use it. With the symbolic hammer and axe at his side, Perrin will spend a long while trying to balance the Builder and the Destroyer in him.

Rand, Mat, Moiraine, and Lan are all bound for the Stone. Deadly Aiel warriors are hiding in the city. Inside the Stone are the three hostages, a baker’s dozen of Black Ajah, and a Forsaken. And the prize: Callandor, a sa’angreal of immense power. Despite the fact that the story meandered with no clear objective, the ending looks to be smashing. The two elements that build the tension the most are the fate awaiting Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne, and the trap that is waiting for Rand. Take away these two things and there would be little to look forward to.

The scene where Perrin crafts tools in Ajala’s smithy is sometimes called a favorite by readers, but it is doubtful they like it because of their interest in blacksmithing. They could find a reference book for that. It is more likely that the scene provokes an emotional reaction because the four pages tell readers about Perrin, how he thinks, how he acts. I’ll abbreviate the scene to show how Perrin’s character stands out amid the description.

Entering the smithy is a relief, familiarity among the Tairen strangeness. Yard. Equipped to do heavy labour. Tools. Neatly arranged, none missing. Metal, grinding wheels, anvils, forges. A wealth of options. Ready. The blacksmith, experienced, with no apprentices. Hot iron smelled like home. Perrin acts without asking, seeing a need and providing help. Bellows. Slow, steady, even strokes. Perrin guesses what the blacksmith is making. He gives Perrin some metal. Perrin can make anything he wants with it. He examines it, learns its qualities, prepares it to be worked. He examines his equipment, finds appropriate garments. The Blacksmith is pleased so far, Perrin knows the true test lies ahead.  He selects his tools. He heats the metal to the temperature he wants. He knows how the tools function, why they are made that way. He uses them properly, with care. Making nothing fancy, a simple thing. Step by step, always keeping the metal at the temperature he wants. Changing tools when needed to shape his piece, thinking ahead for what will be added to it later. He has decided what the piece will be. Quenching the piece, committing to it. Can’t be undone. Grinding. Slow work, to polish, to temper. Going back to the quenching would destroy what he had done. The final touch remains to be added. A neat piece of work, no wasted motion. A master’s piece. Fine stroking, better than steady. Doffing the apron makes him feel uncomfortable. It is the work that is important, the skill with metal, not the colour of a man’s eyes. The Blacksmith understands. He respects the care and the craft.

The reader can see deep into Perrin’s mind, how he tackles problems, how he deals with people. The blacksmithing provides a pleasant dose of realism, but could have been replaced by any of a dozen other actions. It is the character that matters most, and what the experience means to the character.

Writing Lessons:

Elevate mundane descriptions of the everyday by making them reveal more about your character.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 25-29

In this section, The Black Ajah Hunt gets underway, and Mat makes a deal that will get him out of Tar Valon.

The information given about the Black Ajah has a pattern that consists of having no pattern at all. The mystery doesn’t last long before Elayne solves it, but it is one of the first times Robert Jordan has introduced a solvable mystery to the story, and told the reader about it. Later examples will have solutions presented several books after the mystery is introduced.

The main mystery drawing attention is the continuing back and forth debate over who may be Black Ajah, and who is not. Nynaeve’s insistence on caution and mistrust until they are sure wins out. As mentioned in the previous post, even the discovery of a second dead Gray Man in Sheriam’s bed, an obvious warning about the price of failure, did not persuade the majority of readers that Sheriam is Black Ajah. The emotional attachment established by her kind behavior is too strong to overcome even with this added evidence.  Elayne says it best: “And Sheriam? It’s impossible.”

Else Grinwell leads the girls to some planted evidence, and remembering the cue picked up from The Great Hunt, any flash of white that quickly vanishes is a banner proclaiming Lanfear’s presence. That must have been her in the oddly twisting corridors above the library in the last section also!

I am surprised at the simple descriptions of using Saidar. They say it is wonderful, it feels like being filled with life, they imagine rosebuds and riverbanks, but where are the lessons to surrender to it? It must only come when they compare notes with Rand. Maybe it wasn’t relevant enough to introduce until it’s time to worry about Rand’s inability to learn in the next book. It is also a critical component of Nynaeve’s weakness, so not mentioning the ‘surrendering’ aspect helps that plotline unfold over a longer period of time.

Elements of horror creep in, with Egwene reflecting that “We could scream our lungs out down here, and no one would hear a whimper.” Lanfear is going to a lot of trouble to send the women on their quest to Tear when she and her cohorts could surround them and do away with them on several occasions. Again, it’s that self-preservation instinct that kicks in. A circle of thirteen that can shield you is just as worrisome to a Forsaken as to anyone else. Time is not of the essence, Lanfear can plot to get them somewhere remote away from the Tower, and finish them off or use them.

Lanfear’s primary objective was to remove the Dreaming ter’angreal from the White Tower. Lanfear knows that Egwene has somehow acquired a dreamring. Keeping the monopoly over the World of Dreams maintains the secrecy of the Shadow’s communications network, removes one means for the Pattern to leave clues for the heroes, prevents movements through tel’aran’rhiod, and blocks the main approach to the Bore. As I proposed in the previous post, the actual Bore could have been drilled in tel’aran’rhiod, given Lanfear’s familiarity with this realm, and would explain why the World of Dreams figures so prominently.

Silvie is a strange character, waiting for Egwene to come, which is plausible for anyone who can navigate tel’aran’rhiod. She seems familiar with the Forsaken and their plots, mocking them openly. She asserts she can change her face, which anyone should be able to do in tel’aran’rhiod. The country bumpkin accent is the only thing that doesn’t fit Lanfear. She’s secretive enough to not want Egwene to see her true face again, but this is the first real sign of acting ability she’s displayed. Talking about Callandor is consistent with luring Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne into the trap that has been laid.

Mat’s chapter once again provides humour after several somber-mooded chapters. Mat’s quest appears inconsequential so far, so there is opportunity to use his chapters as spacers in the more important quest undertaken by the Black Ajah Hunters.

Telling the story chronologically often does not meet the objectives of brevity and staying interesting. In Chapter 25, Egwene thinks back on a number of events in a chronologically jumbled order that makes sense thematically. This is an excellent example of how to condense the story to its essential elements and avoid boring the reader. It takes exactly two pages, and puts the focus on the information, not the series of actions. I list the relevant parts below, indented to show where ideas are nested within each other.

They are reading the list of names

                The first time they read the list, they argued

                Last night, she had hardly had any sleep, but she had dreamed

                                She dreamt about Seanchan, and home…

They are still reading names

                                She dreamt about Rand, who is ta’veren

                                                Months ago, she asked Anaiya about ta’veren in Dreams

                                She dreamt about other ta’veren, Mat and Perrin

                                                At his healing, Mat spoke the Old Tongue

                                                After breakfast this morning, they had gone to Mat’s room

Nynaeve interrupts the reading of names – end of flashbacks.

There may be other, better ways to write some sections than chronologically.

Writing Lessons:

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 5-9

In this section, Rand sets out on his own, while Perrin learns more about being a Wolfbrother.

Both Perrin and Rand miss the cues that would have let them alert the camp before Trollocs set upon them. Their youth and inexperience, particularly Rand’s with relation to the One Power, make them vulnerable. By setting off on his own, Rand increases the chances that his shortcomings will play against him, but he is able to instinctively weave balefire despite being untrained and unable to even touch the source every time he tries. Some will argue that he is pulling this lost knowledge from his past lives, I think the Eye of the World could have had some programmed knowledge that has been placed in Rand’s mind. Without the foreknowledge of Lews Therin’s role, it could also be explained as another bit of the Pattern providing what Rand the ta’veren needs when he needs it.

Perrin’s kinship with the wolves saves the group, as their number add to the opposition the Trollocs face, and help Perrin shrug off the fear-gaze of the Myrddraal as he shouts the thrilling battle cry ‘Neverborn!’  Trollocs linked to the Myrddraal die. There must be some significant advantage to linking them like this which outweighs their instant death if the Myrddraal falls. I suspect it has to do with orderly marching and stealth which runs contrary to the Trollocs’ bestial nature.

Perhaps it was the influence of meeting the Tuatha’an early in the adventure that made Perrin even more averse to hurting people than he already was. In every Perrin scene involving violence he feels uncomfortable, even repulsed, by it. Like Rand, he reluctantly does what his perceived duty demands of him. Just before this battle Ba’alzamon encourages him to give up the axe, to be a blacksmith, to symbolically stop fighting the Shadow and choose a different destiny. The tactic is not much different than the one used to try turn Rand, it is designed to make Perrin doubt the value of his actions. It also implies that Perrin, like Rand, has the power to make that choice, and that the choice itself is important. The selection of a simple object like the axe to use as a symbol works particularly well. Every time Perrin uses the axe, there is an opportunity to examine his inner turmoil or refer to it. The use to which the axe is put allows it to be associated with more powerful mythical forces, like destruction and death, forces which may be beyond Perrin’s ability to escape and which make Ba’alzamon’s offer more enticing.

Masema may be going crazy, but how would you be able to tell? A few words from Perrin set his path for future conflict. The Pattern will help him become the Prophet, supposedly to aid Rand, but control of that thread in the Pattern will be taken by the Shadow. The Pattern weaves threads in ways to get Rand to win the Last Battle, while the forces of evil, touched by the Dark One, can mess those threads up so that the Pattern must find alternate means of accomplishing the same goal.

Min’s role is to be the Pattern’s ultimate failsafe. If the Pattern cannot move Rand or others to where they must be, Min’s visions can provide guidance on what must be done. In her viewings she can see the current plan, and new viewings can suddenly appear if the Pattern needs to make adjustments on the fly. Min acts as a translator between Rand and the Pattern. Of all Rand’s allies, she is the most valuable since she can help him learn how to compensate for the loss of any other. Do the other two women in Rand’s three have equally decipherable roles?

Snippets of the Prophecies of the Dragon are revealed, providing anticipation that can be built across several books, or the whole series. Moiraine states that taking Callandor is neither the first or last prophecy to be fulfilled, a clear indication that this book’s quest is only one part of a longer journey. This would be discouraging if it had been stated during the slower moving parts, revealed here in the aftermath of a battle, the reader presses on. Short chapters help move the story along so that readers don’t notice all the heroes do is walk and talk. The pace is also increased by the string of revelations delivered quickly and steadily. Encountering a Wolfbrother, digging for answers from Moiraine, and meeting Hopper in the World of Dreams all keep the reader’s interest. Doing and discovering move the story along. Catching fish with Moiraine may have been funny and necessary to show how difficult dealing with Moiraine will be, but it can’t carry the story more than a handful of pages.

The future plotline with Perrin and the Children of the Light is established more firmly by telling how they are actively looking for a yellow-eyed Darkfriend with his name. Two reminders have been provided, no more are needed before the Children show up to interfere with Perrin.

Cairhien, collapsing under the weight of its own politics, did not provide clear examples of what ta’veren can do. The weddings of Jarra do so more effectively, providing an unexpected source of comedy. Every ta’veren effect can be played for horror, drama, laughs, or any other purpose. Once again, this plot device gives a lot of room for the author to play with mood, pacing, action, and coincidence. One reason to ‘waste’ it on a village full of weddings is to camouflage its use to advance the plot. If only every third ta’veren effect is significant to the story, the other occurrences can be used to establish precedent and make the reader less likely to see contrivance when it is used for its true purpose.

A second trip to the World of Dreams for Perrin, Rand being driven to seek out Callandor by his dreams, and the past books’ use of the World of Dreams establish that Dreams are significant in this book, and in the whole series. By now, better explanations of the World of Dreams are due. There may be good reasons why such explanations have not yet been given, such as creating worry over Perrin’s dreams, but if they play a significant role, a lack of explanation will make events feel contrived.

Writing Lessons:

Simple logical symbols are more effective and understood by more readers.